-
I went to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids for the computer training. I was in the LAN Management program. I enjoy working on both the hardware and software, yet music on the computer is still what I love.
I am a people person. I spent over 12 years as a sales rep covering about 1/2 of Iowa. I feel I now have the best of both worlds. I still get to meet new people everyday, yet I do it over the phone. Working in an office once again has been very nice. I don't have to deal with the nasty winter weather that Iowa brings.
I tend to be a workaholic and a perfectionist. This would attest for my dedication to my day job, providing a computer service, and running a DJ Service. I also was a volunteer firefighter and a city council member. I do miss firefighting yet not the political position as a council member.
About Company and DJ
This entire disk jockey "thing" began with the love of music and putting on a party for my kids, friends and neighbors. Now years later it really is a well oiled machine that continues to grow.
Chris Happ
The first thing you need to know is I LOVE music. I have no true
favorite genre. I still have the first album I ever purchased (yes I
am old enough that it was an album not a CD) Peter Frampton- I'm In
You. I listen to everything from today's hits, country, rock metal,
rap, hip-hop, classical you name it. Starting a disk jockey service
was a natural fit and a way to share music with others. I have a
fairly large collection especially when you consider I have been
working on it for over 30 years.
To me music is a way to express myself. As a
teenager I picked up the guitar and actually wrote some of my own
stuff. Was it hit material - no, but it was a way for me to express
myself. I still mess around with creating music, yet now it is in
the electronic form mixing beats and samples.
I have always had a creative touch and spent
much of my younger years living in the right side of my brain. From
art work to poetry. I can gladly state I passed some of the
creativity onto my children.
I am an empathetic person. I feel this gift suits both the DJ Service and computer work well as it allows me to understand my customers wants and needs. It helps me to read a dance crowd and keep the dance floor full. My past clients will attest to this.
Why a Disk Jockey Service?
-
Actually the DJ service started off as a fluke while throwing a Halloween party for some friends in my garage while living in Walker. I had picked up a few lights, a fog machine and a simple two channel mixer for the music. There were at least three people that made the comment with the music collection I had I should start a DJ service. Most importantly a couple of our guests were involved with some of the planning of dances at the local high school.
About three weeks after the party I was approached to DJ for a fund raiser for the local chapter of the FFA. Well somehow I pulled it off by picking up a couple more lights and using a quickly put together home stereo system on steroids....This fund raiser landed me a high school dance - yup one that was going to pay some money versus donating my time. I added a few more lights and a small amplifier to my "home system on steroids". The dance went smoothly yet it was my first experience with blowing up my speakers....Thankfully they blew on the last song.
The first year I performed at about half a dozen dances - about 50/50 between school dances and wedding receptions. Every penny I made went to purchasing more equipment and a "real" light set. I quickly learned that quality equipment is worth the cost.
Here I am years later and yes I still blow speakers :-) Yet beginning the second year that I performed I made sure I had a redundant system. I take back up equipment to every performance. Extra speakers, amplifiers, mixer, microphones and even a few extra lights.
My schooling and work history - stuff you don't really need to know....
Chris Happ